Finding My Knitch: Heyyy stranger...

This is sufficiently awkward. I mean, last time we talked I was all: "I'm going to make an effort to come back to you blog, be patient with me and let's learn and change and grow together!" and then I was gone. What can I say, other than I'm sorry? One day you think you're fine and you've gotten back on the horse, train, whatever, and then next day you're out a job, back living with your mom, and single, and you look at your blog full of adventures and smiles and good times and you just feel like a failure. Even thinking about writing about your now lame life feels like the kind of narcissism that you only see in celebrities who are famous for doing nothing. I debated not coming back at all, or starting something a new blog entirely, but then I remembered that I really liked my blog title and didn't want to lose it so spent 20 minutes trying to remember my logon password.

So let me see if I can catch you up, it has been a loooooong while. Where to start?

Connor and I broke up, a while ago now, but that's not the important part. The important part is that we're still swell friends. Sometimes things don't work out, and that's nothing to be ashamed of. There is no universal law in the Big Book of Breakups that you cannot be friends with your ex.

This is us posing with some creepy creature at the putt putt course, because nothing says "We still like and respect each other" like participating in an alien themed mini-golf tournament.

Besides if we hadn't gone our separate ways romantically speaking he would have never gotten together with the ethereal beautiful and amazingly clever Tara, who I'm pretty sure is a magical fairy from an alternate dimension made entirely out of light and beauty (both the dimension and Tara herself are made out of light and beauty in this scenario).

She's just the tops. We have the greatest crafting conversations.

Let's see, what else is new since we last chatted....

Well there's Jason:


Jason and his lovely lady Hannah

It's weird to think that the last time I wrote a blog, there was no Jason (because obviously he could not have existed before he met me!). You remember that job I talked about losing earlier? Jason was my boss at said job, and let me tell you, he was very bossy! Don't worry, he didn't fire me or anything like that (that would have put a strain on the friendship!) but after working together for a while we did become BFFs (or "besties" as he, so manly, describes it). He is like my brother, my Obi-wan, and my Jimmeny Cricket all rolled into one. And our families have played along in this bestie business too, it's awesome! My mom has kind of unofficially adopted him and he's a player in all the major events like Thanksgiving and Christmas. And his family does awesome things like invites me to Disney World with them.

That is not even a joke, they took me to Disney World with them on their family vacation. It was so beyond amazing, and don't even get me started on going to Orlando Studios and visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, because I will never stop talking about it. The long and short of it is that he and his family are neat.

So a lot has changed in the recent years but let me introduce the most important piece to you, my family:

This is my family. My boyfriend Jarred and his daughter Adeline.

Jarred and I met through work (I have a new job now, can't stay unemployed forever!) and even from the first day I had a huge crush on him. He ended up getting a job somewhere else so that he could ask me out (our first date we went to a comic book shop, it was perfect). He is clever and kind and the absolute best father to Adeline.

He is also a Soldier in the United States Army National Guard.

He looks so serious here, but he's the biggest softie ever, I swear.

Right now he's away for training in Georgia and Adeline and I miss him something fierce. He's been away for exactly 96 days but the good news is that he's due home in a few weeks!

Until then it's me and Gooseberry (I call her such because she is one silly goose) with love and support from all of his family and mine.

It's crazy how things happen, isn't it? A few years ago I was traveling the world with no major life goal, riding elephants, and eating things from food carts that were seriously questionable, and now I have my own little family; a soldier and a little one to care for and protect. Three years ago if you had asked me where I would be in the spring of 2016 I would have said on a plane or maybe working just long enough to afford another ticket out of town. I never expected this, but I don't think I've ever been more satisfied.